A Different Kind of Fifty
by Alexandria Hunston
Summary: Elena Lincoln is not a stupid woman, she knows that Christian is beginning to pull away from her. To what lengths is she willing to go to ensure that Christian will always be by her side? What will happen when Anastasia Steele enters the great Christian Grey's life? How will Christian feel when he finally discovers he is not the only one that has been manipulated by Elena?
1. Chapter 1

" _Elena, I've told you time and time again to MAKE A FUCKING APPOINTMENT!" The anger that was radiating off Christian Grey was palpable. "Now, get out." He pointed to the already open door of his office where Elena was sure that his all too bright PA and her lowly assistant were smiling smugly as they eased dropped on her and Christian's conversation._

 _Ignoring his demand, Elena moved to sit in her designated stark white chair. She was not the least bit bothered by his apparent anger. After all it was she that taught him to be domineering. A small graced her lips as memories of their time together flashed in her mind. "Christian, darling-"_

 _"Enough, we're finished here." Christian interrupted her. Grabbing her forearm, he pulled her up. He was refusing to allow her to sit down. The smile quickly fell from her face. This was not right, refusing her was something new and he never did anything new unless it was carefully orchestrated by her. No, this was not HER Christian Grey. There was something clearly different about him and Elena did not like it. Fear flashed in her eyes as he pushed her toward the door. "Leave Elena, and next time make a damn appointment with Andrea or don't bother showing up!" Was she losing him? No, that was not possible. She had been so careful with his training making sure that would never happen. He would always need her. He would always want her. Losing him was not an option but here she was watching it happen. The room began to close in on her. She could now feel the small shift in their universe, he was pushing her away. He was taking his first step in declaring his independence from her and she knew without a doubt that there would be more to follow. How much time did she have left with him? Did she have years or only months? How did she allow this to happen? How could she have been so blind to not see that his rise to power was poisoning him against her? In her feeble attempts to keep him with her by giving him his heart's desire, she had actually given him the ammunition to blow up their perfectly crafted life she had worked so hard to create. Her mind raced trying to find something, anything to say to him but in the end she did nothing. Elena Lincoln was allowing her pet to throw her out of his office like she was nothing but the day's trash._

OoOoO

He had cut her off. Christian Grey had refused to allow Elena fucking Lincoln to finish speaking! Anger coursed through her as she replayed the images from their argument last month over and over in her mind. Sure, Christian had yelled at her before. And yes, he had demanded that she make appointments with his stick up the ass PA. However, he had never, NEVER dismissed her from his presence! She was his everything, how dare he treat her as if she was nothing! Her grip tightened on the steering wheel, her perfectly manicured blood red nails digging into the black leather. Who the fuck does he think he is? She created him for fucks sake! It was laughable that he thought his power had made him invincible to everyone and everything, including her. The great Christian Grey would be nothing if it weren't for her! Without her, Christian Grey would be nothing more than the son of a dead whore. She would fix this, she would remind him who she was and where he would be without her. Elena Lincoln almost felt giddy thinking of how she was going to bring the great Christian Grey to his knees. Her plan was flawless, all she needed was patience in finding the perfect weapon and then everything else would fall into place. Soon, Elena repeated over and over to herself, very soon Christian Grey would remember his place and more importantly, he would remember that he belonged to her and no one else.

Night after night, Elena sat watching and waiting. She would spend hours looking for what she needed. And even tonight when she had the perfect young submissive kneeling as he waited for her return, she would refuse herself the pleasure of going to him. Yes, her hands itched to cane the young boy but she would not dare leave and go to him. No, she had a plan and that plan required her complete dedication. Ever since she had been thrown out of Christian's office, Elena had dedicated her life to one thing and one thing only. Every single day she would pretend that his little show of power had not affected her. To others, she looked like one of them, a simpleton but she played her part well, calling his office to make appointments, never showing up unannounced. The embarrassment to lowering herself, begging for his time, for his attention only fueled her drive. The plan was everything to her and there was no way in hell she would be distracted. Not now not ever, she vowed to see this through to the very end.

OoOoO

The darkness was all around her, crippling her. She ran from one dumpster dive to another, searching for any place that looked even remotely safe. During the day she could keep her nightmares at bay, she could almost pretend she was normal. However, the night was a different story. When the sun set, Ana knew that not only would the moon rise but so would her nightmares. Everything that she ran away from would come calling out to her, breaking her all over again, piece by piece. Her nightmares were why she could not go to homeless shelters, her nightmares kept her from being able to stay somewhere safe. Normally she would get lucky and find an empty house or some closed down shop but tonight she wasn't so lucky. Her heart raced as she ran across the empty street, hoping that the lonely black car pulled on the side of the road had not noticed her. The young girl had learned even before she was on the streets that bringing attention to one's self was a dangerous thing. That was exactly why she did not care that she had not brushed her teeth in weeks and not bathed even longer than that. She knew that her smell alone would keep most people from coming near her but she was smart enough to know that even her stink wouldn't keep the real evil people away, people like Stephen Morton. Stop it, Ana. Now was not the time to allow him to enter her thoughts, especially when she was still out in the open with nowhere to even remotely hide. Her blue eyes scanned the alleyway looking for a nook that she could fit in until sunrise. Thankfully her eyes landed on a small opening in the back of the alleyway that she should be able to fit in. The fit was tight and very uncomfortable but for Ana it was perfect as long as it kept her hidden until sunrise.

Two years ago, Anastasia Steele had the perfect life and then everything had changed. The life that she had grown to love was turned upside down when her stepfather, Raymond Steele had been shipped off on some Top Secret military mission that he couldn't share with his wife or stepdaughter. Carla, Anastasia's mother had been so angry that her husband was up and leaving her on some godforsaken military base. Carla swore to Ray that if he left that when he returned she would not be there waiting for him. Ray had tried to reason with Carla, telling her that this was his duty to his country and that he would never leave her or Ana if he had another choice but in the end none of his words mattered. Carla made good on her promise, not even an hour after Ray left for his deployment she had everything packed up in their station wagon along with Ana. The mother and daughter trio traveled from one roach motel to another, never stopping that was until Stephen Morton came into their lives.

Stephen Morton was attractive and cunning. He had Carla eating out of his hand from the moment the two of them ran to each other outside some small town gas station. And before Ana knew it her mother had the two of them moving in with him. Stephen was a lawyer in that same small town and he had promised Carla that he would take care of her and Ana. He worked on locating Ray so that Carla could file for a divorce but unfortunately for him, Ray could not be located. In the beginning Stephen seemed like an alright guy. He helped Carla sign Ana up for school, even took her shopping for new clothes. Things seemed to be fine and even though Ana missed Ray terribly, she was beginning to enjoy her new life. But soon all of that changed.

It took less than a year for Stephen Morton to show his true colors. Ana had just turned fifteen and she was excited about getting her learner's license, her mom had wanted to take her but had been held up at some women's luncheon so Stephen offered to take her. When the two of them arrived at the DMV the officer informed them that Stephen could not sign for her because he was not her guardian. That was the first time Stephen had hit her. Ana could remember how he had tangled his fingers into her hair, yanking her head back before slapping her across the face. He yelled at her for embarrassing him at the DMV. Ana had been so confused, how was she supposed to know that a guardian had to be present? She had wanted to ask him, wasn't he the lawyer, shouldn't that be something he knew but she kept her mouth shut. The minute Stephen pulled into the driveway, Ana had thrown open the car door to make it to her mother but Carla refused to listen to anything Ana had to say instead she chose to listen to Stephen's story. He claimed that she threw a fit in the middle of the DMV because she was unable to get her license. Ana tried to get her mother to call the DMV and ask but Carla refused and sided with Stephen. And that was just the beginning of her story with Stephen Morton. If Ana knew of all the things to come she would have packed her things and took off that very night because the things he did next broke her until she had nothing left.

Ana was pulled from her thoughts. Her body froze. The distinct clacking of heels against the pavement invaded her ears. There was no logical reason for anyone to be in the alleyway this late at night, unless they were here for her.

OoOoO

Elena was about to give up on her hunt for the night when something darted across the street in front of her black Mercedes Benz. If she would have blinked she would have missed the small figure entering the dark alleyway. She took a deep breath. How she hoped this would be it. That this would be what she had been waiting so long for. Elena scolded herself, remembering the last time she chased a figure in the night she found her new submissive, Isaac. And even though Isaac proved to be a nice addition to her life, he was not what she needed. After waiting a few minutes to see if the mysterious figure would reappear, Elena opened her car door. Deciding that if she wanted to see if she had finally found her prize she needed to go in search for the child. Grabbing a metal flashlight from her car door, she began walking toward the alleyway.

Her black Louboutin heels made a terrible clicking noise against the pavement with each step she made. She rolled her eyes. Well there went the element of surprise. Elena sighed and turned on her flashlight knowing that no matter who it was that was hiding in the dark already knew she was there. The light moved from one side of the alley to the other, stopping on the area when she saw movement. It's go time. "Hello there, my name is Elena. Are you okay? Do you need any help?"

Elena could see the small form in the brick hole shaking but what she could not see was what gender the child was. Clearly the child was scared but it irritated Elena that she was not being answered. Focus on the end game, Elena. "I promise. I'm not here to hurt you. I was in my car when I saw you run by. I just want to help you." Elena could see the child turning to face her. "I help children on the street and I would like to help you if you'd let me."

The dirty figure turned and looked up at Elena and though she was filthy it was clear that child was definitely a girl. And even though she couldn't tell what color hair the girl had or even if she was pretty, the one thing Elena could see was that the girl had striking crystal blue eyes. Holding out her hand, Elena urged the girl to come to her. "Come, let me help you." The girl's eyes darted from Elena's face to her hand, clearly trying to decide whether or not to accept her help. She needs more than encouraging words, Elena decided. "I know you don't trust me, and I understand that but you need to know that the police have been doing sweeps down these streets and if you don't come with me, they might find you." Absolute terror filled the young girl's eyes as they moved to look behind Elena. The girl had been through something terrible that much was obvious but whatever trauma this girl had gone through would only help Elena. She knew right then and there that she had the girl right where she wanted her. "Come child, please let me help you. I know what it's like to be on the run, running from someone that hurt you. Please, come." Elena reached her hand out further and this time a small hand reached out and grabbed on to it. "Let's get you somewhere warm."

When they reached Elena's car, she opened the door and moved to give the girl room to get in. "It's okay, get in." For a moment she thought that the girl might try and run but instead she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before taking her seat. "Good girl." Elena whispered as she shut the door and walked around to the driver side of the car. Once they were both seated inside the car, Elena could see the girl more clearly. The first thing she checked was to see what color the girl's hair was and she was pleased to find that she was a brunette. Elena felt immense pleasure in knowing that she had found what she had been looking for. This dirty, scared girl was everything that Elena could have possibly wanted and she was going to make sure that this girl became everything she could ever dream of.

OoOoO

Ana studied the blonde woman as she drove. She was beautiful and it was obvious she was rich but none of that mattered. What Ana really wanted to know was why this woman was helping her? So she asked. "Why are you doing this?"

The woman turned her head to Ana for only a moment before looking back at the road but in that short moment Ana could see the sadness on the woman's face. "My name is, Elena Lincoln. What's yours?"

"Anastasia Steele but everyone calls me, Ana."

The blonde woman nodded. Ana could see a smile spreading across her face. It looked odd, like Ms. Lincoln didn't smile very much. She wondered why. "Anastasia is a beautiful name. You should always be called Anastasia." That made Ana, frown. Her mother had said something similar, telling her that Anastasia was her name not Ana. This woman was not her mother though, Ana reminded herself. Ms. Lincoln rescued her from the police and Ana knew without a doubt what would have happened if the police found her and she couldn't let that happen. Elena Lincoln had saved her, she should be grateful.

"Thank you, Ms. Lincoln."

Laughter filled Ms. Lincoln's car. "My dear child, no one, I mean no one calls me, Ms. Lincoln. We must come up with something else for you to call me." Ana began to chew on her bottom lip. It was a nervous habit of hers. Ms. Lincoln turned to look at her and frowned. "Oh, Anastasia." She moved one of her hands from the steering wheel and held it out, giving Ana the choice on whether or not to take it. Ana swallowed past her anxiety before placing her hand in the woman's. "I want you to know something here and now." Ana simply nodded causing Elena to squeeze her hand gently. "I need you to know that there is nothing that you will ever do that will make me hurt you. I've been hurt before and I would never wish that on anyone. All I want is to make you happy."

"Okay." Ana wanted more than anything to believe that this beautiful, blonde woman wanted nothing more than to help her but there was always that possibility that she was lying to her. Could she trust her?

"What about Aunt El?"

"Aunt El." Ana tested the nickname for Elena out, she liked it enough and if it would make Elena happy then she would call her that. "Aunt El, is perfect."

OoOoO

And so it begins…

OoOoO

Hey guys, this is my first Fifty Shades fanfiction so I am a little nervous. I pulled out my laptop today thinking I was going to update one of my Mortal Instruments stories but I couldn't get anything out because of this story. I have been playing around with this idea in my head for a while now and I even reached out to another writer to see if they were interested in writing it. I have not seen anything like this one on the fanfiction website so I hope you are interested in the story line but I guess you guys will let me know soon enough. I'm not going to waste your time with telling you about myself, if you are interested in knowing anything you can always check out my profile or you can always message me. Anyways, I hope you enjoy. Please review after reading….

OoOoO


	2. Chapter 2

FIVE YEARS LATER

Anastasia's knee bounced as she sat waiting for her Aunt's arrival. She was dressed and ready to go and all she needed now was for Isaac and Aunt El to pick her up. _Breathe, Anastasia_ , _breathe_. Looking around her beautifully furnished apartment, she still could not believe that this was actually her life. The minute she took Elena Lincoln's hand everything changed for her. The older woman had done so much her, Elena had truly saved her. For a time she had lived in Elena's home with Elena and Isaac but after an incident with Isaac, Elena felt it was best for Anastasia to move into an apartment. The young girl had been upset at first but quickly got over it when Elena had explained that it was for her safety and nothing more. She had hired personal tutors in order for Anastasia to graduate on time and somehow Elena had made sure she was accepted to Washington State University. And now that she was graduating, her Aunt had arranged for her to move to Seattle and already had an apartment set up waiting for her. Elena and Isaac already traveled back and forth since she had Salons not only in Portland but Seattle as well so her moving to Seattle would not cause any problems where her family was concerned. Her life was perfect in every single way and it was all thanks to Elena Lincoln. Anastasia knew that she would never be able to pay the older woman back for her kindness but that would not stop her from trying.

"Anastasia, darling we're here!" _Of course, she never knocks before coming in._ Anastasia jumped up from her chair and stood very still waiting for Elena's entrance. "There you are my child." Elena stretched out her hands and Anastasia immediately took them. "Let me look at you." The young woman sucked in her bottom lip and began chewing on it but released it immediately when her Aunt gave her hand a tight squeeze _. Sorry, old habits never die_. "What have I told you about that disgusting habit, Anastasia?"

"I'm sorry."

Elena only nodded as she released Anastasia's hands. Taking a small step back, the older woman's eyes took in Anastasia once more. "My god, what have you done to your hair?"

Anastasia's hand automatically went to her hair. _What's wrong with my hair?_ "Do you not like it? Kate said that my hair looks better when it's curled. I've been working on it for hours." Kate, Katherine Kavanagh was one of Anastasia's only friends and she wasn't even sure if you could call what they have friendship, seeing as the only time they spend any time together was when she was at the college. There were several occasions when Kate would invite the young brunette to attend a party or some other social events, she even invited her to go with her family on vacation to the Bahamas but Elena would always advise against it and Anastasia trusted her Aunt completely so she would always decline Kate's invitations.

It was obvious that her Aunt did not agree with her tenacious blonde friend about her hair. _Well, Kate_ _doesn't agree with me being called Anastasia, she prefers calling me Ana so you two can agree to disagree._ "Anastasia, do you trust Katherine's opinion over mine?"

Anastasia swallowed, she had upset Elena and that was not something she ever wanted to do. "No. Of course not, I just. I'm not very good at dressing up and I just wanted to surprise you, that's all. I'm so sorry." Tears began to fill Anastasia's eyes but she did her best to blink them away. She had been up since before dawn trying to make herself presentable in order to impress her Aunt. If there was one thing that she wanted more than anything in the world it was to make Elena proud of her.

Elena placed her hand on Anastasia's cheek, patting it gently. "Come, come now, darling. We shall have none of that today. Besides, this is easy to fix. Shall we braid your hair?"

 _You want to braid my hair now, seriously?_ "But, Aunt El, I have to wear a cap." Elena loved braiding the young woman's hair. Her Aunt would tell her on more than one occasion that she did not know how lucky she was to have such healthy, long brown hair. Anastasia would always agree with the older woman but secretly she never understood the fascination that Elena had with her hair.

"My dear child, that's why we have bobby pins. Now come, let's fix that atrociousness that you call hair."

Once Anastasia's hair was braided and her cap was carefully pinned down, Elena insisted that she change her shoes. "Flats are not something a young lady wears, Anastasia."

Oh, how Anastasia wanted to roll her eyes at the other woman. _You have got to be kidding me!_ _Have you lost your mind?_ "I can't wear heels. You know how clumsy I am, there is no way I will make it across the stage without falling!"

Amusement lit up the blonde woman's face as she walked into the closet only to reappear with a pair of black Louboutin heels. "You are a young lady now, Anastasia. It's time you start dressing like one. Besides, you will do fine. Now put these on, I have no doubt that they will look lovely with this, this. What brand did you say this dress was again?"

The young woman giggled, sometimes Elena could be quite amusing. "I ordered it online, remember? And it was one that you marked for approval." Anastasia never made a purchase without her Aunt's approval. She always made sure to email the older woman with anything that she was interested in purchasing and then she would patiently await for Elena's decision, if the item came back to her with a mark of disapproval then Anastasia would not give it another thought.

"I am sure I did. However, it does not change the fact that I specifically asked you where you ordered the dress from and that the dress does in fact look rather dull in person, do you disagree?" Elena's brow was raised, challenging the other woman to disagree with her.

 _No, I do not agree. I love this dress for its simplicity_. "I ordered it from White House Black Market. I thought it was a nice, simple black dress when I saw it online."

"Well then, if you are going for nice and simple, the dress is that but in the future you should always dress in something that makes you stand out. Remember child, no matter where you are, you always want to be the center of attention."

 _But I don't want to stand out at least not for what I am wearing and besides, you marked approved on this dress!_ Anastasia loved the woman standing in front of her, she owed her everything but there was no denying that they were as different as oil and water. And there were times that the she wanted to tell her Aunt exactly what she thought but Anastasia would never disrespect her like that. "Yes, ma'am, I promise. I'll do better next time."

The older woman waved her hand back and forth in the air. "I have no doubt that you will. Now, finish up. Isaac is waiting to take us to your graduation ceremony."

OoOoO

The ride to WSU was as uncomfortable as ever with Isaac driving and Elena and Anastasia sitting in the back of the car. There was always an uncomfortable silence when the three of them were together. It had not always been like that, in fact there was a short period of time that the three of them would enjoy being in each other's company but not now.

Anastasia had lived with Elena and Isaac for six months before she was moved into her apartment. During those six months she felt as if the three of them were becoming a family. Isaac had become her confidant, mainly because besides Elena and her tutors, Isaac was the only other person that Anastasia had contact with. The two of them were often left alone for hours at a time when her Aunt was needed at one of the many Salons she owned. The young girl had learned that Isaac was only a year older than she was, making him seventeen at the time. And even though Anastasia did not know a lot about the young boy's past, she did know that the older woman had rescued him off the streets just as she had rescued Anastasia. The two teenagers spent most of their time alone watching TV, playing video games and listening to music. And the more time they spent together the closer they became. Isaac was attractive with his blonde curls and deep brown eyes, he was funny too. The teenage boy always had her in stitches over some new joke or mimicking a character on the TV show that they were watching. And maybe that was why she developed a crush on him and maybe that was why when Isaac told her she was beautiful that she took it the wrong way.

The two teens had been watching some stupid show that Isaac seemed to love. Anastasia was sitting at one end of the couch while Isaac was laying on the other end. Toward the end of the show they both stood to leave and somehow they literally walked into each other. Anastasia being Anastasia would have fallen if it had not been for the boy steadying her. They both laughed at her clumsiness at first but then something in the atmosphere changed. Anastasia could feel her heart beating a mile a minute when Isaac raised his hand and grazed her cheek. He was staring down at her with such an intensity, she was sure he was going to kiss her but he never did instead Isaac told her that she was beautiful and just ran off. The young girl had followed him to his room, begged him to open the door so that they could talk but he would never answer her. Anastasia had been so worried that she had done or said something wrong that she waited up for Elena to get home so that she could tell her everything. The older woman assured her that she had done nothing wrong and that she would talk to Isaac for her. Anastasia had gone to bed thinking that everything would be fine the next morning but it wasn't. The next morning, Elena informed the young girl that Isaac refused to speak to her. He said that she was making things into something that they weren't and he threatened to leave if the older woman continued to allow her to live there with them. Anastasia had been devastated. She pleaded with the older woman to let her try to speak with him but was told that Isaac could be very violent and that it would not be wise. That was the very day that Anastasia moved into her apartment. She now only sees Isaac when he is with Elena and he has only speaks to her every now and then.

"Park there, by that black Audi SUV." Anastasia blinked. _Were they there already?_ "Anastasia, darling how on earth did you fall asleep?"

 _Did she fall asleep? She shouldn't be surprised if she did with the unnerving silence._ "Um, I'm not sure."

"Well, no matter." Elena reached over the seat to reposition the top of her cap. "Do you see where we're parked, dear?"

 _Why does it matter where we're parked?_ "Yes."

Elena pointed toward the black Audi SUV parked right beside them. "Remember that we are parked right next to this black SUV. Do you understand, Anastasia?"

 _Here comes another eye rolling moment._ Anastasia resisted the urge to roll her eyes for the second time that day. She even leaned forward to get a good look at the sleek black Audi that they were parked next to. "I know where we're parked. I promise, I won't forget." Her Aunt was always testing her on one thing or another, she had learned over the years that the older woman did not like to be questioned about her tactics so Anastasia had decided long ago to just play along with the test.

"Good." Elena leaned over and embraced the young woman for a moment before releasing her. "Now, out you go."

 _What?_ "Aren't you coming?"

"Of course we are darling, but first I need to make a call to Esclava to check in." The older woman was already pulling out her phone. By the time Anastasia opened the door, Elena was already speaking to someone on the other line.

"Okay, but try and hurry the ceremony will be starting soon." Elena nodded and gave Anastasia a small wave to dismiss her before turning her attention back to her call.

 _Elena won't come in late. She knows how important today is and not only because of the graduation but because this will be the very first time anyone will ever see that Elena Lincoln is Aunt El._ Anastasia never understood why but Elena always insisted that she never tell anyone her real name, she more like demanded that no one know. When she was younger she would question the older woman's motives but with time Anastasia realized that her Aunt always had a reason behind everything she did. When anyone ever asked about her family, she would always tell them that she was living with her Aunt El because her real parents had died. Most people quit asking questions the minute they heard the phrase, _**dead parents**_. And it wasn't a total lie seeing as the only real parent that Anastasia had was in fact dead. Right after Anastasia moved in with Elena she had told her everything about her past and that was when the older woman offered her assistance in locating Anastasia's stepfather, Ray Steele. Elena contacted her connections in the military and was informed that Raymond Steele had died in combat while serving his country.

OoOoO

Everywhere that Anastasia looked there was no sign of Isaac or Elena. _Where are they? Maybe they are here and you just can't see them. Maybe…_

Anastasia is sidetracked when her friend Kate takes the stage to start her speech. Oh, how Katherine Kavanagh commanded a room, it was truly an amazing thing to witness. The young blonde was graceful and confident. This was where she was meant to be, in front of a crowded room being the center of attention. _God_ , _she's amazing, what I wouldn't give to be like her._ Katherine's speech was everything Anastasia expected it to be and so much more. When Kate concluded her speech everyone stood, applauding and cheering _. WOW, her first of many standing ovations!_ Kate is beaming as she takes her seat along with everyone else.

The chancellor rises and begins to speak once the audience had taken their seats. Anastasia's blue eyes scan the auditorium once more in hopes of locating Elena. _No, this cannot be happening. She promised_ _that she would be here, she promised._ Her Aunt had promised that today there would be no distractions, that today it would be all about Anastasia. Unfortunately, the young girl knew her Aunt and knew that the older woman meant well when she made promises but more often than not the promises were almost always broken. Tears began to blur Anastasia's vision and before she could stop it, one lone tear began rolling down her cheek. _Stop this, nonsense! What would Elena say if she could see you now?_ The older woman despised weakness and she made sure that Anastasia knew that weakness was not something she allowed in her life and in the lives of the people she cared about. _Get a grip, Anastasia! Tears are for the weak and you are not weak._ The young girl took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders, turning her attention back to the stage.

The chancellor had already begun the ceremony by introducing a guest speaker. However, Anastasia had missed most of the speech because she had been preoccupied. "…he is also a major benefactor to our university. Please welcome Mr. Christian Grey."

OoOoO

And so they meet….

OoOoO

This is where the story really begins. I wanted to give you that first chapter so you would all know what happened to lead up to where the story begins. Please review after reading – I always enjoy seeing what everyone has to say about my chapter. And if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Happy reading


	3. Chapter 3

_Oh my._ Christian Grey approaches the lectern and surveys the crowd. His confidence is apparent just as Kate's was before him. He is tall with unruly copper-colored hair and dressed impeccably in a fine gray suit, white shirt and gray tie. _Damn,_ _he is attractive and he doesn't look much older than I am._ There are giggles coming from two girls sitting next to the young brunette; clearly she is not the only one that noticed the beauty of Christian Grey. Anastasia leans forward unknowingly, her body craving to be close to the mysterious man on stage, his voice drawing her along with the rest of the audience in.

"I'm profoundly grateful and touched by the great compliment accorded to me by the authorities of WSU today. It offers me a rare opportunity to talk about the impressive work of the environmental science department here on the university. Our aim is to develop viable and ecologically sustainable methods of farming for third world countries; our ultimate goal is to help eradicate hunger and poverty across the globe. Over a billion people, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Latin America, live in abject poverty. Agricultural dysfunction is rife within these parts of the world, and the result is ecological and social destruction. I have known what it's like to be profoundly hungry. This is a very personal journey for me…"

Anastasia tore her attention away from the mesmerizing speech. She did not feel comfortable hearing such despairing words coming from what she had assumed was a powerful man. _How was he able to command attention from his audience but at the same time show so much weakness?_ Elena would not approve of such a man, she would tell Anastasia that the man standing before her was nothing but a victim and he would continue to stay a victim because of his own circumstances. The older woman would point out that he is weak and weakness is something that one cannot tolerate in their life. Elena had made sure early on that Anastasia realized that her past had not made her a victim, her past was something that served a purpose and that purpose was to teach her that she could overcome any circumstance. Thanks to her Aunt, the young girl realized that even though Stephen Morton had caused her pain, he had also given her strength. In fact it was Elena that pointed out to the young girl that she should be somewhat grateful to the bastard that had hurt her because thanks to him, Anastasia now knew that she could withstand anything. She was taught that she was indestructible, nothing could touch her.

The sound of roaring applause brings Anastasia's eyes back to the stage. Christian Grey is smiling as he turns to take his seat. Another one of the chancellor's rise, and so begins the long, tedious process of collecting degrees. There are more than four hundred to be given out and it takes just over an hour before Anastasia's name is called. The brunette carefully makes her way up to the stage but just as she steps up on the last step her heel catches and she begins to stumble. Thankfully a set of skilled hands grab her, pulling her back before she is able to reach the ground.

"Are you okay?" _Shit-shit, fuckity shit!_ _That voice, she knew that voice._ Anastasia is released by her rescuer as soon as she is standing on her own two feet. She can hear the sound of laughter coming from somewhere behind her. _Just kill me now_! _Could my life be any more embarrassing? I tried to tell Elena that I couldn't wear these damn heels without falling, but NO-a young lady is to always wear damn-fucking heels! "Miss?"_

"Um, yes sir. Thank you for catching me." Anastasia did not dare look up, knowing exactly who it was that was speaking to her.

"You are most welcome. Now, shall we move on?" When the young woman did not answer, the man cleared his throat. "Miss Steele, I presume."

Anastasia swallowed. "Yes, sir. I am Anastasia Steele." She slowly turned her head up to look into the gray eyes of Christian Grey. _Holy cow, he is gorgeous! Get a grip, Anastasia, but damn if he is not pretty to look at. And those gray eyes, they are so, so intense._

Christian gazes down at her. There is something he is hiding behind that beautiful face but Anastasia has no idea what it could be. He reaches for her hand but she hesitates. There is something about this man, something that makes her uneasy. It's as if she knows that the minute she touches him, her whole world will go up in flames. _You have literally lost your mind!_ The absurdity of her thoughts causes Anastasia to giggle as she places her small hand into his. "Congratulations, Miss. Steele." Christian squeezes her hand gently and Anastasia feels a surge of warmth travel up her arm. _Well, that_ _was something._

"Thank you, Mr. Grey." Anastasia quickly turns away from the strikingly handsome man before anymore words can be passed between them. She somehow manages to make it back to her seat in one peace. She takes her seat and quietly waits for the rest of the student body to receive their degrees, refusing to allow her mind to think about the intriguing man on the stage. The ceremony takes another hour to conclude. Finally, the chancellor leads the faculty, Kate and Christian Grey off the stage to yet more rousing applause. As Anastasia stands and waits for her row to disperse, she hears Kate calling out to her. She turns to see the beautiful blonde walking from behind the stage toward her.

"Ana, you didn't tell me that you know Christian Grey?"

Anastasia's face fell. "I don't know him."

Kate looks at her carefully. _Does she really think that I am lying to her?_ "Well, he sent me out here to find you."

"Why?"

"I suppose he wants to speak to you."

Anastasia sighs. Turning away from her friend, she glances around the room once more for Elena. _You've been ditched._

"Ana?"

Anastasia turns back around, finally facing the fact that Elena had not attended her graduation. "Kate, your speech was fantastic."

"It really was, wasn't it?" Kate beams. "Now, no more stalling, are you coming? He's very insistent, you know." Her friend rolls her eyes, making Anastasia grin.

"Nope, like I said I don't know him besides, I'm about to be heading out."

The blonde frowned. "Heading out, but why? There's refreshments in the back and I would very much like you to meet my family. Speaking of family, where's Aunt El? I've literally been dying to meet her."

Anastasia could hear the sarcasm in her friend's voice when she mentioned her Aunt. Kate had never been one to beat around the bush about anything and it was not different when it came to her dislike of Anastasia's Aunt. The blonde never shied away from telling the other girl exactly what she thought. Kate truly believed that Aunt El was hiding something big and that was why she never allowed Anastasia to introduce her to any of her friends. Anastasia knew better of course, she knew her Aunt was just protective and that if she was indeed hiding something it was because Elena had good reasons. "Kate, please don't start, not today."

"I don't know what on earth you are talking about?"

 _Yeah, okay. You can play dumb all you want but we both know what you were referring to._ "Fine, have it your way, but I really do need to go. I can meet your family another time." Anastasia paused, clearly seeing that she had hurt her friend's feelings. "Hey, we're both moving to Seattle in a couple of weeks. Soon, we can spend as much time as we want together." Kate was moving to an apartment with her brother, Ethan in the Pike Market District, not very far from where Anastasia was moving to her apartment at Escala. She could still remember how surprised the other girl had been when she found out that Anastasia was moving into an apartment is Escala. According to Kate, you apparently had to be a real somebody to secure an apartment in that particular building.

Kate's face brightened at her friends words. "Okay, but you have to promise that Aunt El won't keep you from me once we're in Seattle. That means, sleepovers, dinner dates, shopping, clubbing and whatever else I want to kidnap you for. Deal?"

"Deal, and Kate, I promise Aunt El didn't mean to keep me from you, she just wanted me to focus on my studies." _Elena never meant to keep her from her friendship with Kate at least not intentionally. Right?_

The blonde looked far from convinced. "If you say so, now come her you." Kate pulled the other girl in for a hug before releasing her and stepping away. "Promise to call me the moment you're settled in Seattle."

"You know I will." Anastasia grinned.

Kate slowly started making her way back toward the stage. "Wish me luck with Grey. I doubt he will take me showing up without you well."

"Good luck, but I'm sure he will be just fine." The young brunette giggled, waving bye to her friend. _Anastasia was beginning to get excited about all the possibilities that moving to Seattle held_. _She would_ _hopefully find an amazing job at a Publishing House and maybe the move would bring her and Kate closer together. Now that she has graduated from college, Elena would have no reason to tell her that it is not wise to hang around Kate. Right?! Kate is Kathryn Kavanagh, an heir to Kavanagh media. Her father owns a multi-million dollar company, what reason could Elena possibly come up with now for not wanting the two of them hanging out? If anything the older woman should support the girl's friendship after all, Kate's family was exactly the type of people that Elena was always telling her that she needed to be around._

OoOoO

Anastasia had been standing outside for over fifteen minutes. She was in the exact spot where Isaac had parked them earlier; even the black Audi SUV was still parked in its place. _FUCK! FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!_ Anastasia wanted to scream and stomp her feet at the ridiculousness off her situation but she wouldn't dare behave in such a manner. _This is your fault, you should have known that Elena would get an emergency call and have to leave._ Not having a ride wasn't even the worst part, here she was stranded at the college with no money and no way to call for anyone to come and pick up. Anastasia left her cellphone and purse behind at her apartment because her dear Aunt told her that there was no use for those things at a graduation. The young girl had agreed with the other woman at the time but now she was kicking herself for being so foolish. _Ugh, as if this day couldn't get any worse._ Anastasia walked over to the sleek black SUV, leaning her back against it. Tilting her head up, she closed her eyes begging for a miracle to happen.

"Is there something I can help you with?"

 _There it is again, that damn voice._ Anastasia's eyes fly open to find Christian Grey along with another man standing directly in front of her. "What, you're following me now?" _How rude, Anastasia_. _Elena would be appalled with your behavior. What she doesn't know won't hurt her_. The young girl was never rude but right now, she was hot and tired and she wanted nothing more than to get out of these damn heels!

The two men glanced at one another smiling. Christian Grey actually seemed rather amused by her outburst. "I can assure you, that I am not following you, Miss. Steele."

 _Whatever, asshole_. "Then may I ask; what you're doing here?"

Christian shook his head. He was still grinning from ear to ear. "This car that you are so casually leaning against happens to be my car, Miss. Steele."

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Here is another chapter. I hope you are all enjoying this story.

Please try and review after reading and if you have any questions, please feel free to message me.

Happy reading

OoOoO


	4. Chapter 4

_His car. His car. His FUCKING car!_ Quicker than she could blink, Anastasia jumped away from the Audi in complete and utter mortification. _Why? Why, out of everyone in the damn arena did this SUV have to belong to Christian fucking Grey?_ The young girl silently began to beg to whatever higher power there was in the universe to open up the ground beneath her and swallow her entirely. She could feel his gray eyes on her, no doubt getting a kick out of her misfortune. _Where are you manners, Anastasia, you must apologize?_ Taking a deep breath, the brunette braced herself to apologize to the alluring man standing in front of her. "I apologize, I just-I assumed." _Get it together!_ "Look, I'm truly sorry for the misunderstanding. I had assumed that you were following me because of something my friend mentioned to me after the ceremony." _There, that's all you get, you pompous ass._ "Now if you'll excuse me." She moved to walk by the two men but Christian's hand reached out, grabbing her forearm before she could make it past him.

He turned, nodding to the man standing beside him. "Taylor, start the car." Anastasia watched as the clean cut man quickly moved around to the front of the SUV. _Of course he would have a driver._ Christian released his grip on her. "Now, what were you saying Miss. Steele?"

The young woman took a small step back and then another, needing space between the two of them. This man was unlike anyone she had ever met. She could not seem to wrap her head around what Christian Grey was all about. Yes, he was weak, he had shown it to an entire stadium full of people but he was also very intimidating and that confused the hell out of her. Elena had always taught her that you are either weak or strong but never a combination of the two. It wasn't possible to be strong if you had any form of weakness in your life, but standing across from her was a man that contradicted the older woman's teachings. Christian Grey towered over everyone he encountered, he was striking, every inch of his body oozed dominance and that was why it was so hard for Anastasia to fathom that this was the same man that gave such a gut wrenching speech just hours ago. She made a mental note to discuss her dilemma with Elena, knowing that the older woman would have the answers she was so desperately seeking.

"Are you still with me, Miss. Steele?" If the brunette was not mistaken, there was a hint of irritation in Christian's voice.

"Yes, of course. Please forgive me, what was it that you wished to discuss?" He clenched his jaw, his features darkening causing a shiver to run through her body. _Oh my, he seems angry._

"There are many things that I would like to discuss with you, Miss. Steele. Where would you like to begin?"

"You have a list?" She swallowed.

"Oh, yes Miss Steele, I do in fact have a list." He moved toward her and leaned down, his stormy gray eyes locking with her blue. "Shall we go for a cup of coffee and consider your transgressions?" _Transgressions? What the hell does he mean by transgressions?_ Anastasia opened her mouth but closed it when nothing came out, he had rendered her speechless. "Come, Taylor will drive us." Christian wrapped his arm around her waist, turning her body to face the SUV. _Who the hell does he think he is?_ Her mind was screaming at her to push him away but her body had other plans, allowing him to move her inside the comfortable Audi without even the slightest of protest.

 _Holy hell, how did I let this happen?_ Once inside, the young woman made sure that she situated her body as far away from Christian's as the vehicle would allow. She even turned her face toward the window in order to minimalize their contact, pretending to watch the scenery as they rode silently toward their destination. _What am I going to do?_ _Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ Elena would murder her when she found out that not only did she leave the college without informing her but that she left with a man, a man that her Aunt would never approve of her seeing in any shape or form. _Maybe I can ask him to pull over, then I can walk back to the college and Elena will never know about my grave error in judgement._ She turned to ask him just that but stopped the minute she saw him. _Oh shit!_

Christian's eyes were glazed over, watching her intently. Anastasia felt something building in the depths of her stomach. She bit down on her bottom lip, chewing on it nervously. _Was it hot in here?_ The young girl wanted to tear her eyes away from him but she was fixated on his lips, his bottom lip to be precise and how his right index finger was moving back and forth across it ever so slowly. _Oh, to be that finger_. The rest of his body was stiff, unreadable, but his eyes were something entirely different. They were glazed over in what she could only decipher as lust. Anastasia felt that strange sensation in her stomach building, spreading a fire throughout her body. _Oh my!_ "Is it hot in here?" A large smile appeared under his finger causing her cheeks to turn a bright red. _Stop this, Anastasia! Stop this now!_ _Get out of the car. Get out now before something happens._ "Mr. Grey would you, I mean. Could you please pull over, I would like to get out."

"No."

 _Wait, What?_ His answer was exactly what she needed to bring her back to her senses. "Excuse me?" His grin widened.

 _The ass wants to laugh at me!_ "Miss. Steele, how you amuse me."

 _What a dickhead!_ "I'm thrilled that you find me amusing, Mr. Grey but I asked for you to pull over and that is what I meant."

"I heard what you said, Miss. Steele but as you can see we are in the middle of rush hour traffic and there is simply no way that we can pull over. Agreed?" He raised his eyebrow daring her to challenge him. _Damn him!_ Anastasia knew that he was right without even looking outside the window. It seemed she was stuck with the cocky bastard sitting next to her until they reached wherever he was planning on taking her. "Am I making you nervous, Miss. Steele?"

 _Yes, you make me extremely nervous!_ "Mr. Grey, you do not intimidate me; that I can promise you."

Christian's body shook with laughter. Anastasia almost found herself laughing with him, almost. "Oh, I think we both know that you're lying, Miss. Steele."

Anastasia stiffened, pulling her arms across her chest. _How dare he call me a liar! Okay, so what if he's telling the truth, that still gives him no right to say such a thing out loud!_ "You are a rude man, Mr. Grey!"

A grinning Christian held his hands up in surrender. "You're absolutely right, Miss. Steele. I am being rude, please accept my sincere apology."

 _Pft, as if! Sincere apology my ass, his voice is filled with nothing but sarcasm._ "Please do not insult my intelligence by feeding me your bullshit, Mr. Grey."

His grey eyes seemed to light up at her words. _He did know that I was insulting him, right?_ "Has anyone ever told you that you have a smart mouth?"

 _On more than one occasion and I have the scars to prove it but that is NONE of your business._ "Frankly my smart mouth is none of your concern." Anastasia's mouth was one of the things that Stephen Morton hated most about her and he would often use a belt buckle on her to remind her to keep her mouth shut. Elena had actually agreed with Stephen's punishment when it came to the young girl's smart mouth, she taught Anastasia that Stephen was only reprimanding her for her defiance and that she should have learned to hold her tongue instead of continuing to provoke him. The older woman had explained to the young girl that it was her fault that her lower back was covered in scars, that if she did not learn to control her tongue, she may encounter something much worse than a belt buckle one day. In order to please her Aunt, Anastasia always did her best to stay quiet but for some unknown reason, Christian Grey seemed to bring out the very worst in her and she could not seem to control what came out of her mouth when being near him.

"Fair point, well made, Miss. Steele, however, I have plans to change that."

 _What the actual fuck?_ Anastasia could tell by the look on Christian's face that he meant what he was saying. "And how exactly do you plan on changing things to make what I say and do your business?" The young woman was doing her best to keep her voice steady and even but she knew that it was only a matter of time before her nerves got the best of her.

Christian shifted in his seat, moving his body closer to hers. "I am a business man, Miss. Steele, and I damn good one. I get what I want, and what I want right now is you."

 _Holy hell, that was hot!_ Anastasia knew she should find his words revolting but she could not deny that part of her enjoyed what he was saying. "Mr. Grey, you shouldn't say such things, especially things that will NEVER come to pass." _God, why did he have to be so good looking!_

"I am nothing if not a man of my word, Miss. Steele."

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I hope that you enjoyed the new chapter.

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